Who Owns Madden Game? A Comprehensive Analysis
Electronic Arts (EA) owns the rights to the popular football video game series Madden NFL. EA acquired the rights to the game from Don Jackson, the game’s original developer, and founder of High Score Productions in 1990. In 2004, EA signed a 12-year licensing agreement with the National Football League (NFL) and the National Football Players Association (NFLPA), giving the company the exclusive rights to use the NFL’s teams, stadiums, and players in its game.
The Evolution of Madden NFL
The first Madden NFL game was launched in 1988 as a game called John Madden Football, which was developed by Don Jackson. The game was renamed to Madden NFL in 1993 when EA acquired the rights from Jackson. Since then, the game has evolved into one of the most successful video game franchises of all time.
Who Does EA Get Paid to Use the Madden Name?
EA pays $150 million to use John Madden’s name and likeness for perpetuity, which was part of a $500 million deal between the two companies in 2005.
Revenue Model of Madden NFL
Here is a breakdown of how EA makes money from the Madden NFL franchise:
| Revenue Streams | Share |
|---|---|
| Sales of video game copies | 80% |
| Digital microtransactions | 10% |
| Advertising | 5% |
| Lending and trading | 5% |
Distribution of Revenue Among Stakeholders
Here is a rough estimate of how the revenue is distributed among the various stakeholders:
| Stakeholder | Share |
|---|---|
| Electronic Arts (EA) | 60-70% |
| National Football League (NFL) | 10-15% |
| NFL Players Association (NFLPA) | 10-15% |
| Partners and Merchandisers | 5-10% |
Conclusion
To summarize, Electronic Arts owns the rights to the Madden NFL video game franchise and pays $150 million to use John Madden’s name and likeness for perpetuity. The game’s revenue comes from various streams, with EA receiving a significant majority of the profit.